Working in a café environment can be a lot of fun. It’s fast paced. You meet new people. You learn a lot. Yet, if you were at work and you were hurt on the job, what would you do? This is important to think about because some on the job injuries can land you at home to recover for a long time. Could you make your monthly payments? Thankfully, each state has a law in place to act as a safety net for employees who are hurt on the job. This safety net is a law that requires most employers to cover their employees with a workers’ compensation policy. There is no cost to employees. Workers’ compensation insurance helps injured workers with an approved claim get help with the medical expenses incurred from their injuries. In some instances, it can even provide a portion of lost wages. Company Profile: Au Bon Pain Au Bon Pain is bakery and café that also provides catering. There are around 243 locations in the United States. Around half of those locations are corporate owned. The other half are franchise locations. Au Bon Pain’s corporate location is in Boston, Massachusetts. Risks to Au Bon Pain Workers Generally, the risks associated with Au Bon Pain workers depend upon the position they work within. A café driver who helps deliver catering orders can face the risk of burns from hot food or containers, injuring their neck or back from trying to move extremely heavy catering orders, and they could even be involved in a car wreck while on company business. Guest service representatives work inside of the café. They are at risk of slip and falls, repetitive stress injury from food preparation and use of the cash register, or cutting or burning themselves during food prep. Steps to Help You Protect Your Legal Rights If you’re hurt on the job, you must take steps to protect your legal rights. Keep these things in mind: Stop what you’re doing. Tell your supervisor right away. If you’re a delivery driver and you are involved in a wreck, call 911. If you slipped and fell in the dining room, your supervisor should know so that the mess can be cleaned up and no one else gets hurt. Talk to your supervisor about how you can start your workers’ compensation claim. You will also need to write out an accident report right away. If you were involved in a wreck or if you called 911 because of a medical emergency, the responding police officer will complete a report. You will be given a report number. You can request a copy of the police report in a few days. Get medical care. If you’ve been in a wreck, cut, or burnt yourself, call 911. If you’ve hit your head or hurt your back, you need emergency medical attention. These injuries can be serious. If it is a minor injury, ask how you can make an appointment with the doctor on the workers’ compensation insurance policy. This doctor is usually free for you to see since your injury occurred while at work. Learn about your rights from a workers’ compensation attorney. Do not rely on your employer or their workers’ comp adjustor to treat you fairly. Make sure that you know your rights. Getting Legal Help Workers’ compensation claims can get complicated. Make sure that your rights are protected. Talk to a workers’ compensation attorney and get the help that you need! *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Au Bon Pain, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
